Heated die carrier

ABSTRACT

An Apparatus for use with a reciprocating press for feeding pieces of leather into and from between the press elements. The pieces of leather are thus cut into desired shapes and ornamented by punching designs such as stitching marks and holes there through to provide portions of shoe tops, belts and other articles. The device for feeding such pieces of leather is an electrically heated, cutting die supporting carrier or vehicle which rides on a supporting guide plate with track elements thereon. The supporting plate is fixed to the stationary element of the press. The carrier or vehicle is supported on the guide plate by spring urged rollers which yield under pressure when the pieces of leather are being operated upon the press. The carrier is moved manually on the supporting guide plate from a loading and discharge position in front of the press to punching position within the press.

United States Patent [151 3,655,940 [451 Apr.11, 1972 Robinson [54]HEATED DIE CARRIER [72] lnventorf Donald F. Robinson, Rustic Lane,

Plaistow, NH. 03865 [22] Filed: Sept. 4, 1970 [2]] Appl.No.: 69,545

[52] U.S.Cl. ..219/243,69/2 [51] lnt.Cl. ..ll05b 1/00 [58] FleldotSearch..83/170,2,l71,30;219/215, 219/221, 200, 227', 201, 229, 243, 538, 465;69/2;

' 18/DlG. 37

[56] Relerences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,956,016 4/1934 Flothow..2l9/227X Primary Examiner-C. L. Albritton Attorney-John C. MacNab [57]ABSTRACT An Apparatus for use with a reciprocating press for feedingpieces of leather into and from between the press elements. The piecesof leather are thus cut into desired shapes and ornamented by punchingdesigns such as stitching marks and holes there through to provideportions of shoe tops, belts and other articles. The device for feedingsuch pieces of leather is an electrically heated, cutting die supportingcarrier or vehicle which rides on a supporting guide plate with trackelements thereon. The supporting plate is fixed to the stationaryelement of the press. The carrier or vehicle is supported on the guideplate by spring urged rollers which yield under pressure when the piecesof leather are being operated upon the press. The carrier is movedmanually on the supporting guide plate from a loading and dischargeposition in front of the press to punching position within the press.

9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 1 1 I972 SHEET 2 BF 4 m um N OMWKT PATENTEDAPR I 1 I972 I SHEET 3 OF 4 Dona/d F/Pabvsan \NVENTORPATENTEDAPR 1 1 1972 SHEET [1F 4 INVENTOR. DONALD F. ROBINSON BY 'M/flATTORNEY HEATED DIE CARRIER My invention relates to an electricallyheated die carrying vehicle or carriage for leather cutting and punchingmachines. At present various portions of shoes have ornamental markingsthereon which are made in the leather by dies heated and pressed into orthrough said portions of the shoe leather prior to actual constructionof the shoe itself. The dies also cut the leather into specificallyshaped pieces. Such ornamental designs include circular or other shapedholes and closely shaped punchings to represent stitching. Other leatherarticles such as straps, pocketbooks, etc., are similarly processed.This involves placing the piece of leather on a specifically designedcutting die, mounting said die on a heavy electrically heated carriageand moving the heated carriage, die and leather into a press machine.After the pressing, cutting and punching operation has taken place, theheated carriage with the die and leather are removed from the press andthe shaped and ornamented piece of leather removed from the die.Previously these cuttings and markings were accomplished by hand toolsand stitching machines. My device perfonns such results with speed,accuracy, and efficiency with a great savings of time and labor.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and examplecertain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1. is front view of a pressing machine with the heated carriagetherein.

FIG. 2. shows a perspective view of a guide plate.

FIG. 3. is a perspective view of the heated carriage.

FIG. 4. shows a thick aluminum block.

FIG. 5. includes the electrical system.

FIG. 6. illustrates a cutting die block.

FIG. 7 shows the steel undercarriage.

FIG. 8 illustrates an enlarged detail of the roller mounting on a planethrough line 39 39 of FIG. 7.

A conventional pressing machine (1) is shown in FIG. 1 mounted on atable or standard (2). The press has a rectangular front opening (3)therein with a stationary base plate (4), a vertically reciprocatingplunger (5) and conventional means not shown for operating said plunger.My invention includes an elongated rectangular steel guide plate (6),better shown in FIG. 2, with a flange (7) extending from its lowersurface. The flange (7) is bolted as at (8) to the front edge of thestationary base plate (4) of the press, as shown in FIG. 1. The steelguide plate (6) extends over the entire stationary base plate (4) of thepress (1) and extends outwardly from the opening (3) in the press.Adjacent the side edges of the top of the guide plate (6) are fixed twotefion guide strips (9), see FIG. 2, between which applicants heatedcarriage, FIG. 3, rides into and out of the opening (3) in the press.

The heated carriage (10) is best shown, as assembled, in FIG. 3 andincludes a steel under carriage (11) including a substantiallyrectangular plate FIG. 7 (31) having top (32), bottom (33) and sides(34), said plate (31) having spring (36), Fig. 8, pressed retractableball bearing rollers (12) extending below its lower corners throughopenings (35) in the plate (31) As mentioned on page 1 in lines 11through 13, The carrier or vehicle is supported on the guide plate byspring urged rollers which yield under pressure when pieces of leatherare being operated upon in the press. The outer verti cal surfaces (13)of the steel under carriage (11) make sliding contact with opposed sidesof the teflon guides (9) on the guide plate (6) FIG. 2. To the rear andside portion of the top (32) of the steel plate (31) of the undercarriages (11) there are mounted relatively thick fibre blocks (14) forheat insulation purposes.

A thick electrically heated aluminum rectangular block (15) is shown inFigure 4. This block (15) has a large scrap discharge opening (16) inits center portion and deep rounded slots (17) in its opposite sidesextending from the front edge (18) of the block to a point (19) spacedfrom the rear edge (20). Electric heater elements (21), FIG. 6 areinserted in the slots or grooves (17) from the front edge (18) of theblock (15). Two positioning pins (22) extend upwardly from the topsurface of the electrically heated block (15) 'to receive a leathercutting die plate (23) placed on top of the block (15). The deep roundedslots (17) on the opposite sides of said block (15) are covered by sideplates (24) which are screwed to block (15) to enclose the elongatedtubular heater elements (21). As shown in FIG. 3 a handle member (25)having a wooden grasping element is attached to the side plates (24)adjacent to open ends of the slots (17) and extend a distance from saidblock (15). Between the side portions of the handle element (25) thereis a heater control switch box (26) having a switch (31) and heatercontrol element (32), see FIGS. 3 and 5 which is mounted upon an angleplate (27) attached to the block element (15) and extending above saidheater control switch box (26) to insulate it from the heater block(15). Electrical connections interconnect the heater elements and theheater control switch box.

' As assembled the heated carriage (10) includes the steel undercarriage 11) having the spring pressed ball bearing rollers (12) and theinsulating fibre blocks (14) attached to the upper side of the steelunder carriage (11) and the aluminum block (15). The thick aluminumblock (15) is fixedly attached through said fibre blocks (14) as bybolts not shown to the steel under carriage (11).

FIG. 6 shows an example of a cutting die plate (23) having various formsof cutting elements (28) projecting from the upper surface. Positioningpins (29) and openings (30) on the lower surface of the cutting dieplate (23) serve to position and retain the cutting die plate on top ofthe heater block (15).

In operation the guide plate (6) is attached through flange (7 to thepress base plate (4). The heater carriage assembly (10) is slidablyplaced upon the steel guide plate (6) between the teflon guides (9). Theheating elements (21) are inserted in slots (17) and the electric switch31 on switch box (26) is turned on to bring the aluminum block (15) andthe cutting die (23) to the operating temperature. The cutting die (23)has been fitted to the top of the heater carriage (10) and a piece ofleather is now placed on the top of the cutting die plate (23). Theoperator then moves the heater assembly (10) into the press opening (3)and the press plunger (5) is operated one complete stroke down and up.The heater as sembly (10) is withdrawn from the press on its rollers(12) and the punched leather piece removed. This operation is manual butrapidly repeated on successive pieces of leather to cut and perforatethe same. 7

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription, and changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What I claim and desire to be secured by United States Letters Patentis:

1. In combination with a prem having a stationary base and a plunger,means for moving said plunger toward and from the stationary base, aheated die carrier comprising an under carriage, a block means,insulating means between the under carriage and the block means,electric heaters in said block means, a cutting die removably resting ontop of said block means and means for moving said heated die carrier andcutting die between the stationary base and plunger of the press andretracting it therefrom.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the block means comprises a thickrectangular metalic block having a top, bottom, two long opposite sidesand two opposite ends; means defining a scrap opening extending throughthe central portion of the block from top to bottom; means defininggrooves in the two long opposite sides of the block extending from oneend of said block; side elements and means for fixedly attaching theside elements to the long opposite sides of the block to cover saidgrooves and means on the top of said block for locating the cutting die.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein the under carriage comprises arectangular plate member having a top, bottom and sides, means definingopenings, one adjacent each corner of said plate member, separateelements extending through said corner openings; resilient meanssupporting said elements for movement into and out of said comeropenings, interconnecting means between said separate elements and therectangular plate; heat insulating members; and means connecting theplate through said insulating members to the block means.

4. The combination as recited in claim 2 wherein there is an elongatedguide plate for supporting the heated die carrier for movement from aposition between the stationary base and plunger of said press toloading position spaced from the press, said guide plate having a flatupper surface with longitudinal side edges and a transverse flange onits lower surface, means fixedly connecting said flange to thestationary base of the press, guide means on the flat upper surface ofthe rectangular guide plate adjacent the longitudinal side edges, theheated die carrier movably resting between said guide means on saidguide plate.

5. The combination as recited in claim 4 wherein the block I means isheated by electric'heaters comprising elongated tubular heater elementsin the grooves of said block and having electrical connections extendingoutwardly from said block; handle members extending from the block andmeans attaching said handle members to the block; a heater control meansconnected with said handle members and means connecting said controlmeans to said handle members; heat insulation means and means attachingsaid heat insulation means to said block, said heat insulation meansextending between the block and the heater control means.

6. A heated die carrier comprising an under carriage; a rectangularblock like member having a top, a bottom, long opposite sides andopposite ends; means defining a scrap opening through the centralportion of the block from top to bottom; means defining slots in thelong opposite sides of the block extending from one end of, the block;side plates and means fixedly mounting said plates on the long oppositesides of the block to cover said slots; means on top of said block forretaining a cutting die in operating position; heat insulating means;means interconnecting the heat insulating means between the blockv meansand the undercarriage; heater means in said block means; said cuttingdie removably resting on said block means; means for controlling saidheater means and handlemeans for moving said heateddie carrier andcutting die.

7. A heated die carrier; an under carriage supporting said die carriercomprising a substantially rectangular rigid plate member having top,bottom and sides, means defining openings through said plate member, oneadjacent each corner of said plate member; a supporting elementextending through each of said openings; yieldable means supporting saidelements for movement into and out of said comer openings; mountingmeans attaching said yieldable means to said plate and said elements;heat insulating members on top of said plate; and block means; heatinsulating means; means interconnecting the heat insulating meansbetween the block means and the under carriage; heater means in saidblock means; a cutting die removably resting on said block means; meansfor controlling said heater means and handle means for moving saidheated die carrier and cutting die.

8. A heated die carrier comprising an under carriage; a block means;heat insulating means; means interconnecting the heat insulating meansbetween the block means and the under carriage; heater means in saidblock means; elongated electric heater elements insertable in the slotsin the sides of said block; electric wiring and means connecting saidwiring to said heater elements; handle means and means attaching thehandle means to the block; a heater control means; means connecting theheater control means to the wiring; means supporting said heater controlmeans; additional heat insulation means located between the block andheater control means supporting said heat insulation means on saidblock; a cutting die removably resting on said block means, said heateddie carrier and cutting die being moved manually by said handle means.

9. The combination of a heated die carriage and a press;

said press having a vertical front wall;

means defining a rectangular opening in the vertical front wall of thepress;

a plunger inside said opening;

means for vertically reciprocating the plunger inside said opening;

a base plate within said opening in opposed relation to said plunger;

said base plate having a front edge adjacent the lower edge of saidopening;

an elongated guide plate;

means mounting the guide plate intermediate its ends to the front edgeof the base plate, said guide plate extending over the base plate andoutwardly through the opening in the press;

guide strips; 1

means mounting said strips adjacent the sides of the top surface of theelongated guide plate;

a carriage resting on the guide plate between said guide strips andslidably contacting the guide strips for manual movement into and out ofthe opening of the press from a loading and discharge position outsidethe opening to a position in the press beneath the plunger of the press;the carriage includes a flat bottom substantially rectangular undercarriage plate;

ball bearing rollers; spring means for mounting said rollers in openingsat each of the corners of said under carriage plate for urging saidrollers downwardly into yielding rolling contact with the guide plate;

heat insulating means of U form on the top of the under carriage plate;

means fixedly attaching said insulating means to said under carriageplate;

a thick aluminum block having a central scrap discharge opening throughits central portion;

means fixedly connecting said thick aluminum block to the U forminsulating means with the discharge opening in the block in registrywiththe space between the arms of the U formed by the insulating means;

two opposite side wallsof the block being cut-away to provide slotsclosed at one end and open at the opposite end;

side plates;

means for attaching said side plates to the side walls of the block tocover said slots; handle means;

attaching means connecting said handle means to the side plates;

electric heater elements inserted in said slots; control and switchmeans;

means connecting said control and switch means to the electric heaterelements and to the handle means for easy accessability;

additional heat insulation means;

means connecting said additional heat insulation means to said block toinsulate the control switch means from the block;

a die plate for cutting designs in leather located on top of thealuminum block and; interfitting connection means removably mounting thedie plate on the top of the aluminum block; whereby a piece of leatherto be cut and decorated by punching is placed on top of the die plateand the entire carriage manually moved under the press plunger; thepress plunger operated for one down and up stroke and the carriage movedout from under the plunger discharged and reloaded. I t

1. In combination with a press having a stationary base and a plunger,means for moving said plunger toward and from the stationary base, aheated die carrier comprising an under carriage, a block means,insulating means between the under carriage and the block means,electric heaters in said block means, a cutting die removably resting ontop of said block means and means for moving said heated die carrier andcutting die between the stationary base and plunger of the press andretracting it therefrom.
 2. The combination of claim 1, wherein theblock means comprises a thick rectangular metalic block having a top,bottom, two long opposite sides and two opposite ends; means defining ascrap opening extending through the central portion of the block fromtop to bottom; means defining grooves in the two long opposite sides ofthe block extending from one end of said block; side elements and meansfor fixedly attaching the side elements to the long opposite sides ofthe block to cover said grooves and means on the top of said block forlocating the cutting die.
 3. The combination of claim 2, wherein theunder carriage comprises a rectangular plate member having a top, bottomand sides, means defining openings, one adjacent each corner of saidplate member, separate elements extending through said corner openings;resilient means supporting said elements for movement into and out ofsaid corner openings, interconnecting means between said separateelements and the rectangular plate; heat insulating members; and meansconnecting the plate through said insulating members to the block means.4. The combination as recited in claim 2 wherein there is an elongatedguide plate for supporting the heated die carrier for movement from aposition between the stationary base and plunger of said press toloading position spaced from the press, said guide plate having a flatupper surface with longitudinal side edges and a transverse flange onits lower surface, means fixedly connecting said flange to thestationary base of the press, guide means on the flat upper surface ofthe rectangular guide plate adjacent the longitudinal side edges, theheated die carrier movably resting between said guide means on saidguide plate.
 5. The combination as recited in claim 4 wherein the blockmeans is heated by electric heaters comprising elongated tubular heaterelements in the grooves of said block and having electrical connectionsextending outwardly from said block; handle members extending from theblock and means attaching said handle members to the block; a heatercontrol means connected with said handle members and means connectingsaid control means to said handle members; heat insulation means andmeans attaching said heat insulation means to said block, said heatinsulation means extending between the block and the heater controlmeans.
 6. A heated die carrier comprising an under carriage; arectangular block like member having a top, a bottom, long oppositesides and opposite ends; means defining a scrap opening through thecentral portion of the block from top to bottom; means defining slots inthe long opposite sides of the block extending from one end of theblock; side plates and means fixedly mounting said plates on the lonGopposite sides of the block to cover said slots; means on top of saidblock for retaining a cutting die in operating position; heat insulatingmeans; means interconnecting the heat insulating means between the blockmeans and the under carriage; heater means in said block means; saidcutting die removably resting on said block means; means for controllingsaid heater means and handle means for moving said heated die carrierand cutting die.
 7. A heated die carrier; an under carriage supportingsaid die carrier comprising a substantially rectangular rigid platemember having top, bottom and sides, means defining openings throughsaid plate member, one adjacent each corner of said plate member; asupporting element extending through each of said openings; yieldablemeans supporting said elements for movement into and out of said corneropenings; mounting means attaching said yieldable means to said plateand said elements; heat insulating members on top of said plate; andblock means; heat insulating means; means interconnecting the heatinsulating means between the block means and the under carriage; heatermeans in said block means; a cutting die removably resting on said blockmeans; means for controlling said heater means and handle means formoving said heated die carrier and cutting die.
 8. A heated die carriercomprising an under carriage; a block means; heat insulating means;means interconnecting the heat insulating means between the block meansand the under carriage; heater means in said block means; elongatedelectric heater elements insertable in the slots in the sides of saidblock; electric wiring and means connecting said wiring to said heaterelements; handle means and means attaching the handle means to theblock; a heater control means; means connecting the heater control meansto the wiring; means supporting said heater control means; additionalheat insulation means located between the block and heater control meanssupporting said heat insulation means on said block; a cutting dieremovably resting on said block means, said heated die carrier andcutting die being moved manually by said handle means.
 9. Thecombination of a heated die carriage and a press; said press having avertical front wall; means defining a rectangular opening in thevertical front wall of the press; a plunger inside said opening; meansfor vertically reciprocating the plunger inside said opening; a baseplate within said opening in opposed relation to said plunger; said baseplate having a front edge adjacent the lower edge of said opening; anelongated guide plate; means mounting the guide plate intermediate itsends to the front edge of the base plate, said guide plate extendingover the base plate and outwardly through the opening in the press;guide strips; means mounting said strips adjacent the sides of the topsurface of the elongated guide plate; a carriage resting on the guideplate between said guide strips and slidably contacting the guide stripsfor manual movement into and out of the opening of the press from aloading and discharge position outside the opening to a position in thepress beneath the plunger of the press; the carriage includes a flatbottom substantially rectangular under carriage plate; ball bearingrollers; spring means for mounting said rollers in openings at each ofthe corners of said under carriage plate for urging said rollersdownwardly into yielding rolling contact with the guide plate; heatinsulating means of U form on the top of the under carriage plate; meansfixedly attaching said insulating means to said under carriage plate; athick aluminum block having a central scrap discharge opening throughits central portion; means fixedly connecting said thick aluminum blockto the U form insulating means with the discharge opening in the blockin registry with the space between the arms of the U formed by theinsulating means; two opposite side wAlls of the block being cut-away toprovide slots closed at one end and open at the opposite end; sideplates; means for attaching said side plates to the side walls of theblock to cover said slots; handle means; attaching means connecting saidhandle means to the side plates; electric heater elements inserted insaid slots; control and switch means; means connecting said control andswitch means to the electric heater elements and to the handle means foreasy accessability; additional heat insulation means; means connectingsaid additional heat insulation means to said block to insulate thecontrol switch means from the block; a die plate for cutting designs inleather located on top of the aluminum block and; interfittingconnection means removably mounting the die plate on the top of thealuminum block; whereby a piece of leather to be cut and decorated bypunching is placed on top of the die plate and the entire carriagemanually moved under the press plunger; the press plunger operated forone down and up stroke and the carriage moved out from under the plungerdischarged and reloaded.